1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a basket for perishable agricultural products and, more specifically, to a berry basket and a cover therefor.
2. The Prior Art
The typical prior art berry basket is formed of a lattice-work of plastic and is covered with a piece of plastic film secured over the mouth of the basket with a rubber band. However, shelf space represents a considerable investment and cost to the vendor and, accordingly, from the viewpoint of the vendor it would be desirable to stack such baskets, one on top of the other. However, with the conventional design, the baskets cannot be stably stacked and, if stacked, the result is injury to the produce contained therein. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a basket having a top permitting a clear view of the produce contained therein and allowing another basket to be stably stacked thereon without damage to the produce contained therein.
As soon after harvesting as is practical, the berries, collected in baskets of the type described above, are placed in a cooling tunnel wherein they are contacted with a stream of cold air to reduce their temperature to about 32.degree. F. to arrest the bacterial action which would otherwise lead to decay and spoilage. After cooling in the cooling tunnel, the produce is typically transported in refrigerated trucks to retail outlets. The energy consumed in the cooling of the freshly harvested produce represents a significant expense to the grower or buyer of the produce and, accordingly, any improvement in the basket design serving to reduce the time required to cool the produce would represent a significant cost savings. Further, stacking within the cooling tunnel without damage to the produce would represent a significant improvement.